By Ojugbele Omotunde
BFA Global, FSD Africa, and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have launched the Africa Blue Wave and Regen Wave initiatives to unlock solutions for Africa’s blue and green economies.
The initiative was facilitated by TECA Triggering Exponential Climate Action), an initiative of BFA Global, Ocean Hub Africa, FSD Africa, and the Canadian Government.
The partners have also selected 10 start-ups with 50% being women-led companies as part of the Africa Blue Wave and Regen Wave initiatives, each receiving $55,000 to advance their solutions for the blue and green economy.
The Startups which are from seven African countries, including Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Tanzania, were chosen for innovative solutions like fish trade, environmental pollution, renewable energy certification, eco-friendly fertilisers, waste reduction, clean cooking, cold storage, and sustainable drainage.
The initiatives provided fellowships to founders to develop sustainable livelihood solutions, use ocean and freshwater resources, and restore landscapes with the program ending with a pitch day for founders to present their solutions to advisors, experts and peers.
Africa’s blue and green economies are expected to benefit greatly from the startups of a varied range of entrepreneurs as they will be able to create and implement solutions, affect good change, and advance environmental sustainability with funding while OceanHub Africa and TECA offer assistance.
Rasima Swarup, TECA Director, BFA Global said that BFA Global is assisting forward-thinking businesspeople who are addressing the environmental and climate change issues facing Africa.
Swarup stated that the inventive and varied startups showcase the continent’s capacity for sustainable growth and that when they get funds, they would influence positive change in their communities.
Mary Kashangaki, Assistant Manager for Digital Innovation, FSD Africa also said that Africa’s talent is crucial for a green transition and that the partnership is excited to support the 10 selected innovators who are working to solve climate challenges.
She added that she’s confident that these startups can improve lives, maintain biodiversity, reduce waste, and improve climate outcomes.
Thomas Sberna, Regional Head, Coastal and Ocean Resilience, IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa on his own part also said that the issue of the triple global problem needs to be solved immediately as it is not going to wait for us.
He added that using the regenerative potential of our economic engine is our best opportunity and that for the continent and beyond, the Africa Blue Wave and startups provide optimism.
The selected startups and the solutions they are developing include:
PETsPoint (Nigeria): offering a digital platform that makes it possible for official and informal garbage collectors to handle recyclable waste collection effectively.
Plas Tech (Kenya): providing a more environmentally and forest-friendly cooking energy source by turning waste plastic into safe cooking gas.
Samaking (Kenya): Establishing a network of tech-enabled, franchisable fish retail stores with upstream skills to assemble food from farmers and fishermen at scale.
ARK (Kenya): helping renewable energy projects join the market and exchange worldwide renewable energy certificates in order to create new sources of income for them.
The Eco Guardian (Rwanda): developing a digital device and service for environmental pollution monitoring. There are others like Khwezi Innovations (South Africa): creating a biodegradable, 2-in-1, hand glove sanitiser.
There is Mada Fia (Madagascar): utilising Japanese techniques (Himono) and establishing a marketplace for drying and smoking fish.
The Lima Aja (Rwanda): Focusing on the manufacturing of organic fertilizers in Rwanda, the company uses Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to produce pH-correcting, enriched organic fertilizers for smallholder farmers Sunwave of Tanzania and Xi Bassile Mozambique.